What’s On Your Mind ‘09 strikes again! Today, the challenge looms… write a post without using any BE verbs (am, are, was, were, is, be, been, being). Below, you’ll find my post with 3 occurrences of the word is. 2 of them I couldn’t give up… due to the nature of the phrase “who God is.” The other I couldn’t find a proper replacement. Let me know if you have a solution or find any other infractions! Hope you try this yourself and link up!
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The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me… [in] my unbelief!” Mark 9:24 (NLT)
Last summer I began a search for what it means to truly believe in Christ.
You see, during the winter of 07-08 severe depression held me hostage. (for a little background… depression made a debut in my life after the birth of my first daughter in 2001. Since then, I have continued to battle this illness. Some days my treatment works, other days have literally disappeared in my memory.) My state of mind needed a little TLC… and it needed to come from the source of all comfort.
Only problem, I didn’t know the God of comfort. Depression not only captured my mind and body, but it strangled my soul. I pictured God holding the noose around my life.
Thankfully, I spent some time at the feet of a trusted Christian teacher, Linda Kline of Psalm One Ministries. She pointed out that I allowed my circumstances to curb my outlook on God. Linda encouraged me to find a true understanding of Who God Is in order to help put my circumstances in perspective. (Check out these posts which share my thoughts in this area previously aired on this blog.)
Ultimately, those same issues made a return this weekend as expressed in Do You Take God at His Word? I THANK YOU for ALL of your prayers. I want to make it clear though, that my intention of sharing this ugly situation is to point us all to true belief in Christ.
Linda often uses this phrase, “Lord I believe, help me in my unbelief.” As highlighted above, that statement comes from Mark 9. Jesus encounters a father needing healing for his demon-possessed son. The man says to Jesus, “Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” Jesus asks, “What do you mean, ‘If I can’? Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father immediately claimed, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (vs 22-24)
I love the honesty of this man. And it brings me comfort. Even someone who encountered Christ face to face had his doubts. He too, saw Christ through his boy’s trials, instead of looking at Christ for who He really is.
Today, I want to encourage you to take God at His Word and TRULY BELIEVE in ALL He says. And when you can’t, pray these words, “Lord I believe, help me in my unbelief.”
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Ohhhhhh Shane. During my own struggle with depression I can’t even count the ways I used that phrase! Thank God for giving us ropes to hold onto as He holds onto us!
love you, Carol
Shane, thanks for sharing your heart again.
I think Jesus loved the honesty of that man, too. He knows whether we really believe or if our profession is merely a bluff, don’t you think? When we doubt, but we sincerely want to believe, I think God has mercy on our weakness and helps us in our unbelief.
*This is me being thankful!*
As for how you might get rid of the “be”s above? Instead of who God is, how about “the true nature of God”? As in, “looking at the true nature of Christ.”
And for the other one, how about, “I share this ugly situation out of my desire to point us all to true belief in Christ.”
I over look your be verbs for the wisdom in your story.
Thank you so much for continuing to be open and honest. I learn alot from you. May God continue to help me through you.
Much Love
T
Shane – Again the way it all comes together. I was just reading that part when the man asks Jesus to help him with his unbelief. I pray that all the time. I just watched Prince Caspian last night for the first time – Awesome! So I was thinking about it. Remember the 4 siblings. The youngest wanted to wait for the Lion Aslan while oldest lost faith and patience and tried to do it himself. Yet at the end of the movie the two older children are finished with their time in Narnia, but the Lion says that the younger ones still have more too learn. Isn’t it interesting that the oldest child who stumbled with his belief, but finally came back was done with his lesson while the youngest whose faith hadn’t been shaken has more to learn. Didn’t almost all of the disciples struggle with their faith at some point? I don’t look forward to the day when life gives me such struggles that will challenge the core of my faith. But I am confident that Jesus will be there when I fall. I will have his word to lead me back – and he will also give me friends in Christ to remind me that he will lift me up just as he did to them:)
Shane,
I’m praying for you. Thank you for your honesty and insight. I agree that sometimes life gives us more than we can handle and our circumstances block our view of God. I am so thankful that even when our exprience may say otherwise, God remains present in our lives.
There have certainly been times when I deliberately chose faith–times I felt lost or didn’t feel at all close to God. Faith is a choice, not an emotion.
Blessings,
Kelli
P.S. Thanks for supporting and encouraging me!
Thank you for sharing your heart with us as you do. We all struggle with one thing or another– I struggle now wondering if God will really get us through this recession and then I know I am foolish in my disbelief and wavering faith. But that’s why we need to stay so close to Him–He will see us through!
Thank you for the honesty in your post!
I have struggled with depression since I was a teenager – almost 20 years now. When I became a Christian I began to realize that in times of depression I am only focusing on myself & negative circumstances. Just having a messy house is enough to throw me over the edge.
So I learned to identify those things which can drive me into depression in hopes of avoiding them when possible. When depression hits regardless of my efforts, I try to spend extra time with God. He is faithful to remind me that He makes NO mistakes and that He works ALL things for my good.
God has used many things in my life to bring me closer to Him and teach me to rely on His strength and not mine. Depression can be a tool in the hands of the Lord if we will but let Him sculpt us with it.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
This verse helps me when I am struggling.
Thanks for being so real to us, Shane. Your transparency is a blessing, even though it has come at a great cost to you. I, too, have issues with belief and pray a similar prayer of desire. I’m looking for the small ways that God is growing my trust, and then, I reflect on the big ways he’s proven true in my past. I try and hold onto those facts when I face a crisis of belief.
Thanks for sharing. I’ll try and get over to Exemplify tomorrow for a peek.
peace~elaine
Thank you for your transparency…it was a blessing and I too have many times said “Lord, I believe, please help me with my unbelief.”
Excellent site, keep up the good work
This is my first reading of this Website and I read all the posts from other readers. It seems like they are all moved as I am with your journey and trials. Continue to post, this seems to help not only you but many others. Thanks